Siddharth D. wrote: >Barrie T. wrote: >>If you had a day and a half to spend in San Diego, and wanted to >>eat two nice meals (say, one breakfast (or brunch) and one dinner), >>where would you go? Willing to spend a moderate amount of cash, >>but don't want to take out a loan. > >One place that you do NOT want to be is Star of India in La Jolla. >We went there last Saturday and had one of the worst deals in >Indian food in this country. ...and to top it off, right across the street is Ashoka, one of the best Indian restaraunts in SD. C'est la guerre. I moved away from San Diego three months ago, but if I were to return for 1.5 days, I'd make a beeline for: Lunch: - Fin's (I-15 and Mira Mesa Blvd) for a shrimp burrito plate! (and air-mail me one, please...) - Casa di Bandini for pretty good Mexican and huge margaritas (in Old Town). Great atmosphere. Dinner: - Hmm. Pacifica Grill (downtown) or Pacifica Del Mar (in Del Mar), topped off with coffee/dessert at Il Fornaio (in the same center in Del Mar) Seafood. ...or maybe Celadon (Thai) in Hillcrest, topped off with dessert and coffee at Incredible Dessert (or somesuch name) on 5th. ...or maybe Fio's downtown... followed by Incredible Desserts on 5th (it's a great dessert/coffee place!). Italian. ...or The Palms (right next to Ashoka in La Jolla), followed by coffee at one of the many coffee houses near Girard and Fay in La Jolla. California cuisine, southwest, etc. ...or Cilantro's in Del Mar (southwest food, on Via De La Valle). yumm.... Sunday Brunch: La Valencia in La Jolla Happy eating, .Bob.
San Diego, CA
San Diego?
Siddharth D. wrote: >Barrie T. wrote: >>If you had a day and a half to spend in San Diego, and wanted to >>eat two nice meals (say, one breakfast (or brunch) and one dinner), >>where would you go? Willing to spend a moderate amount of cash, >>but don't want to take out a loan. > >One place that you do NOT want to be is Star of India in La Jolla. >We went there last Saturday and had one of the worst deals in >Indian food in this country. He ain't kiddin', either. The place nearby, Ashoka, I'm told, isn't too much better. Better to try Little India on Convoy for Indian food. Here's the SD.EATS file, compiled by a fellow gourmand (Hi gkn!)... I'd vector you to SDSC for the most recent version but they seem to have pulled it from their ftp archives for some reason or another... I don't contend that the file is comprehensive or that it is up to date, but it's a good starter... spl - - - Version: 7 Last update: 21-Oct-1992 By: GKN [$ = <$8; $$ = $8-$15; $$$ = >$15 per meal per person, no drinks] North coastal San Diego (Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad). The Armenian Cafe, 3126 Carlsbad Blvd. Carlsbad. 720.2233. $ Armenian food, all of which is prepared from scratch. Closed monday and tuesday. Chung King Loh, 552 Stevens Ave. Solana Beach. 481.0184. $$ Hong Kong style cooking, with white tablecloths. They feature a complete vegetarian menu as well. Vincent's Four Seasons, 731 S Hwy 101. Solana Beach. 481.1141. $$$ Continental/Nouvelle. Chef Vincent Grummel prepares a wonderful meal. Sadly, Vincent's is closed until late spring due to some financial difficulties. Not sure if it's open yet (as of 14-Aug-1992). Cilantro's, 3702 Via de la Valle. Del Mar. 259.8777 $$-$$$ Nouvelle southwest, with a constantly changing menu. Exquisite desserts. Black bean soup to die for. The same folks own Epazote in Del Mar, which you should avoid unless you like crappy service. Valet parking only. Papachino's, 2650 Via de la Valle. Del Mar. 481.7171. $$ Local Italian food; pasta, etc. Good pizza. There's another branch in the La Jolla area. When In Rome, 828 N Hwy 101. Leucadia. 944.1771. $$ Northern Italian, fresh pasta. Not much parking available. Las Olas, 2655 S Hwy 101. Cardiff. 942.1860. $-$$ Inexpensive Mexican fare in a beach setting. Piret's, 897 First Street. Encinitas. 942.5152. $$-$$$ One of San Diego's fixture French restaurants. Good salads. The Sheppherd, 1126 First Street. Encinitas. 753.1124. $-$$ Natural foods, good service. They've been around since 1972, and have quite a following. Pacifica Del Mar, 1555 Camino Del Mar. Del Mar. 792.0476. $$$ Creative southern California cuisine (grilled fish, meats, etc). This one, and the Pacifica Grill downtown consistently win awards in the _San Diego Magazine_ dining polls. They also have an outdoor dining patio. Epazote, 1555 Camino Del Mar. Del Mar. 259.9966. $$ Nouvelle southwest, with an outdoor dining patio. Slightly less upscale than their sister restaurant Cilantro's. Guaranteed to be crowded at sunset if the weather is nice. The service stinks. Go to Cilantro's instead. Il Fornaio, 1555 Camino Del Mar. Del Mar. 755.8876. $$ Italian, somewhat trendy. They also have an outdoor dining patio. Good bakery on site. The portions tend to be a bit small. Lots of "trendy" pizzas. Bully's Del Mar, 1404 Camino Del Mar. Del Mar. 755.1660 $$ Steak and prime rib. There's also another one in Carlsbad, and one in the Bird Rock area of La Jolla. Large portions. The King's Garden, 280 Lomas Santa Fe Dr. Solana Beach. 755.0421. $-$$ Mandarin, Szechwan. Lunch and dinner. The Fish Market, 640 Via de la Valle. Solana Beach. 755.2277. $$ Fresh grilled fish. There's also another one downtown at the harbor, which has a more upscale upstairs dining room as well. Tends to be noisy. The Market Cafe, 650 Valley Ave. Solana Beach. 755.5988 $ An authentic hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant. There are 3 other restaurants in the same area, each of which has its own local following. The Bluebird Cafe, 646 Valley Ave. Solana Beach. 755.4426. $ See The Market Cafe. Tony's Jacal, 621 Valley Ave. Solana Beach. 755.2274. $ See The Market Cafe. Fidel's, 607 Valley Ave. Solana Beach. 755.5292. $ See The Market Cafe. North mid-inland San Diego (Rancho Santa Fe, Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Kearny Mesa). Delicias, 6106 Paseo Delicias. Rancho Santa Fe. 756.8700 $$$+ Continental. Under the nominal aegis of Wolfgang Puck (Spago in LA, Chinois on Main in Santa Monica, among others). Features one of his chefs as a guest 3 days a week. Mille Fleurs, Paseo Delicias. Rancho Santa Fe. 756.3085. $$$++ French. What many consider to be the best restaurant in San Diego County. Wonderful food, impeccable service. Good wine list. A fixture in San Diego County, it has taken the "best of the best" award in the _San Diego Magazine_ poll several years running. WineSellar and Brasserie, 9550 Waples. Mira Mesa. 450.9576. $$$ French/continental. Excellent wine list, and a very good selection of wines by the glass. Closed mondays. Downstairs is a wine shop. [But, if you're interested in buying wine, I have to put in a plug for Vintage Wines Ltd, 6904 Miramar Road, 549.2112. Call for directions. One of the best selections I've ever seen, and prices that are hard to beat. Many rare and premium wines. They also have a wine bar. This place is for serious oenophiles.] Texas Barbeque, 6904 Miramar Road. Mira Mesa. 566.5235. $ Inexpensive and very good Texas BBQ. Don't go for the decor. Meiki, 9823 Caroll Canyon Road. Scripps Ranch. 566.0206. $$ A first rate sushi bar and Japanese restaurant. Khyber Pass, 4647 Convoy. Kearny Mesa. 571.3749. $$ Afghan food. Good vegetarian dishes. Funky decor. La Jolla area. Cindy Black's, 5721 La Jolla Blvd. La Jolla. 456.6299. $$-$$$ French/Continental/Nouvelle. Chef Cindy Black has quite a reputation locally. Prix-fixe ($14.95) dinner offered from 5:00 until 8:00 pm on sunday, and lunch ($12.95) on friday. Try the duck with ginger and leeks. Closed mondays. Elario's, 7955 La Jolla Shores Drive. La Jolla. 459.0541 $$$ Spectacular view, so-so food. Live jazz wednesday thru sunday. Sammy's Woodfired Pizza, 702 Pearl St. La Jolla. 456.5222. $$ Southern California exotic pizzas, modelled after those pioneered by Wolfgang Puck. Sante, 7811 Herschel Ave. La Jolla. 454.1315. $$$ Northern Italian. Quiet. Lunch monday-friday, dinner nightly. Soup Exchange, 7777 Faye Ave. La Jolla. 459.0212. $ All-you-can-eat soup and salad bar. Nice dining patio. Top O' The Cove, 1216 Prospect. La Jolla. 454.7779. $$$+ French. Consistently one of the best restaurants in San Diego. Award-winning wine list. The service tends to be good, if a tiny bit snippy. A fixture in San Diego County. George's at the Cove, 1250 Prospect. La Jolla. 454.4244. $$$ Southern California/continental. Consistently one of the best restaurants in San Diego. Call to reserve a window table. They also feature a rooftop dining patio open for lunch which has a spectacular view and less expensive fare. The Palms, 8008 Girard Ave. La Jolla. 454.8884 $$ Southern California bistro fare, with a great view of the La Jolla cove. Casual, with excellent food. The same owner/chef as the Pacifica Grill. Try the Wasabi crusted ahi. The place is a bit small, but doesn't appear to be swapmed. Cafe Japengo, 3787 La Jolla Village Dr. La Jolla. 450.3355. $$+ Nouvelle Pacific Rim. Good sushi bar, innovative and somewhat trendy. An "interesting" atmosphere. Reminds one a little bit of a scene from _Blade Runner_ without the rain and depressing atmosphere. [Avoid the neighboring restaurants (Kiva, Papparazzi, PJ Wolf's); there are lots better/quieter places to eat] Papachino's, 7748 Regents Rd. La Jolla. 546.7666. $$ Local Italian food; pasta, etc. Good pizza. There's another branch in the Del Mar area. Pasha's, 1110 Torrey Pines Rd. La Jolla. 454.9229. $$ Afghan food, more upscale than _Khyber Pass_. Upstairs you can sit on cushions on the floor and eat. Aesop's Tables, 8867 Villa La Jolla Dr. La Jolla. 455.1535. $$ Greek cafe; good selection of beer. Tends to be crowded. Alfonso's, 1251 Prospect. La Jolla. 454.2232. $$ Reasonable Mexican fare on Prospect St. in downtown La Jolla. Peking Palace III, University Towne Center. La Jolla. 452.7500 $$ Reasonable Chinese fare in the UTC area. Service gets a bit hectic during the lunch rush. Hops, 4353 La Jolla Village Dr. (UTC). La Jolla. 587.6677 $$ New bistro & micro brewery. Trying to be All Things To All People, or so it seems. However, the food is reasonable, and so is the beer. Part of a chain; there's at least one more in Scottsdale, AZ. The service needs a bit of work, but this could be just teething problems. Piatti, 2182 Avenida de la Playa. La Jolla. 454.1589. $$-$$$ Italian food, with good grilled fish/chicken/meat. Good pasta, reasonable wine list. Outdoor dining patio. Hillcrest/Uptown area. El Indio Shop, 3695 India Street. Hillcrest/Uptown. 299.0333. $ A San Diego fixture of fast Mexican food. Good and inexpensive. Kung Food, 2949 Fifth Ave. Hillcrest. 298.7302. $-$$ Vegetarian dishes, but many entrees contain dairy products. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Well though of, generally. Saffron, 3731-B India St. Hillcrest/Uptown. 574.0177. $-$$ Thai grilled chicken. Curries only available on wednesdays. Celadon, 3628 Fifth Ave. Hillcrest. 295.8800 $$ One of the better Thai restaurants in town. Taste of Thai, 527 University Ave. Hillcrest. 291.7525. $$ Thai and vegetarian cuisine. Ichiban, 1449 University Ave. Hillcrest. 299.7203. $ Unpretentious sushi bar. Look for the crowd sitting on the picnic benches outside. Busalacchi's, 3681 Fifth Ave. Hillcrest. 298.0119. $$-$$$ Italian (northern?). Has an outside patio. Slightly trendy. Stefano's, 3671 Fifth Ave. Hillcrest. 296.0975. $$-$$$ Italian, with a good wine list. Service and food tends to come and go a bit. Inn at the Park, 3167 Fifth Ave. Hillcrest. 296.0057. $$ California/continental/Romaninian [call in advance]. Good value and outstanding service. Downtown area. 515 Fifth Avenue, 515 Fifth Ave. Downtown. 232.3352. $$$ The chef classifies the food as "Progressive Global Cuisine". The menu changes daily. Fio's, 801 Fifth Ave. Downtown. 234.3467. $$$ California-Italian. Always crowded, good food. Open until midnight on friday and saturdays, and until 11:00 pm the rest of the time. The Fish Market/Top of the Market, 750 N Harbor Dr. Downtown. 232.3474 $$ Fresh grilled fish. On the water. There is also a more upscale dining room (the Top of the Market) upstairs. Tends to be noisy. La Gran Tapa, 611 B St. Downtown. 234.8272. $$-$$$ Spanish tapas. Bistro atmosphere. Pacifica Grill, 1202 Kettner Blvd. Downtown. 696.9226. $$$ Creative southern California cuisine (grilled fish, meats, etc). This one, along with Pacifica Del Mar consistently wins awards in the _San Diego Magazine_ dining polls. Sfuzzi, 540 Fifth Ave. Downtown. 231.2323. $$-$$$ Creative California-Italian. A bit trendy, and crowded (usually). Very good food with reasonable presentation and attentive service. Also part of a chain, but don't let that deter you. Other areas (Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Coronado, Pacific Beach, Mission Valley, University City). Thee Bungalow, 4996 West Point Loma Blvd. Point Loma. 224.2884. $$$ Continental/Nouvelle. Mon-Thu dinner specials at $10. Be careful of the older wines on the list (some have had trouble with them being spoiled). Karinya, 4475 Mission Blvd. Pacific Beach. 270.5050 $$ Thai, voted among the best Asian restaurants in San Diego several years running. Belgian Lion, 2265 Bacon. Ocean Beach. 223.2700. $$$ Belgian/continental. Good wine list. Specials mon-thu. Reservations recommended. Willy's American Bistro, 911 Camino Del Rio South. Mission Valley. 692.0094. $$ Reasonable, quick fare. Not really a bistro atmosphere. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Peohe's, 1201 First St. Coronado. 437.4474. $$-$$$ On the waterfront on Coronado, overlooking downtown San Diego. Steak, seafood, oyster bar. Lunch and dinner. Lorna's, 3945 Governor Dr. University City. 452.0661. $$ Very good, but invariably crowded Italian restaurant. Bistro atmosphere, few tables. Worth a bit of a wait. DZ Akin's, 6930 Alvarado Rd. San Diego (SDSU area). 265.0218. $-$$ San Diego's best New York style deli.
Steve L. wrote: >Siddharth D. wrote: >>One place that you do NOT want to be is Star of India in La Jolla. >>We went there last Saturday and had one of the worst deals in >>Indian food in this country. >He ain't kiddin', either. The place nearby, Ashoka, I'm told, isn't >too much better. >Better to try Little India on Convoy for Indian food. The absolute best place for Indian food in San Diego is Taj Mahal in Poway. Tell them to make my special sauce if you like really hot food. >Here's the SD.EATS file, compiled by a fellow gourmand (Hi gkn!)... >I'd vector you to SDSC for the most recent version but they seem to >have pulled it from their ftp archives for some reason or another... >I don't contend that the file is comprehensive or that it is >up to date, but it's a good starter... You're right: it's not up to date. >The Sheppherd, 1126 First Street. Encinitas. 753.1124. $-$$ I don't think this is around anymore. -- Rick Schubert ([email removed])
Steve L. wrote: > >Here's the SD.EATS file, compiled by a fellow gourmand (Hi gkn!)... ... >Mille Fleurs, Paseo Delicias. Rancho Santa Fe. 756.3085. $$$++ > > French. What many consider to be the best restaurant in San Diego > County. Wonderful food, impeccable service. Good wine list. A > fixture in San Diego County, it has taken the "best of the best" > award in the _San Diego Magazine_ poll several years running. I went there with my family several months ago, and was very disappointed. Maybe I went on a bad night. I requested a non-smoking table. We were put in a fairly secluded spot in back. Within the next few minutes they seated a very boisterous group in the next room, with a large opening to our room right next to our table. The entire group of about eight were chain-smoking through the entire meal, and of course it drifted right past us. The portions were very small and far from the best food I've had for such high prices (about $50 per person if you don't order wine). The loudmouths sitting next to us may have detracted from our tastes. I recall the service was not very good either. Long waits for coffee refills. The broken Mexican tiles around our table brought back nostalgia from eating on Avenida de Revolucion in Tijuana. I know, I should have complained, but my family didn't want to make a scene. >WineSellar and Brasserie, 9550 Waples. Mira Mesa. 450.9576. $$$ > > French/continental. Excellent wine list, and a very good selection > of wines by the glass. Closed mondays. Downstairs is a wine shop. > > [But, if you're interested in buying wine, I have to put in a plug for > Vintage Wines Ltd, 6904 Miramar Road, 549.2112. Call for directions. > One of the best selections I've ever seen, and prices that are hard > to beat. Many rare and premium wines. They also have a wine bar. > This place is for serious oenophiles.] The first time I went there it was the best food I can ever recall eating! Besides that, it's right across the street from my work! The have a very good deal on a Sunday brunch if I recall correctly. >La Jolla area. The French Gourmet Cafe, 711 Pearl, La Jolla 454-6736 $$ French/continental. Excellent food and great French pastries in the adjoining bakery. Cozy atmosphere (which means small). San Marcos (North County) area. Brunos Italian Restaurant, 1020 W. San Marcos Blvd. 744-7700 $-$$ Good Italian food from pizza to what I think is their best item, Pruscutto and mellon. It's in Restaurant Row off highway 78 about 25 miles north of San Diego downtown.
boyd J. wrote: >Steve L. wrote: >> >>Mille Fleurs, Paseo Delicias. Rancho Santa Fe. 756.3085. $$$++ >> >> French. What many consider to be the best restaurant in San Diego >> County. Wonderful food, impeccable service. Good wine list. A >> fixture in San Diego County, it has taken the "best of the best" >> award in the _San Diego Magazine_ poll several years running. >I went there with my family several months ago, and was very disappointed. >Maybe I went on a bad night. My wife and I went there recently, and we were also somewhat disappointed. We enjoyed it, and just about everything about it was good, but it didn't live up to its reputation. The service was not impeccable: we found several faults, such as the waitress taking away drinks that weren't empty (she was TOO efficient). My wife ordered a salad with eggplant, and it was served without eggplant. The waiter brought a nice dish of eggplant when she pointed this out. The food was good but not great. We also thought that it was too noisy there. -- Rick Schubert ([email removed])
boyd J. wrote: |> >Mille Fleurs, Paseo Delicias. Rancho Santa Fe. 756.3085. $$$++ |> I requested a non-smoking table. We were put in a fairly secluded spot |> in back. Within the next few minutes they seated a very boisterous |> group in the next room, with a large opening to our room right next to |> our table. The entire group of about eight were chain-smoking through |> the entire meal, and of course it drifted right past us. |> |> The portions were very small and far from the best food I've had for |> such high prices (about $50 per person if you don't order wine). |> The loudmouths sitting next to us may have detracted from our tastes. |> I recall the service was not very good either. Long waits for coffee |> refills. I went there on three different occassions and I liked the food all three times. The service however can be very slow (plan on spending at least 2 hours) although I admit I was not in any rush since we had appetizers, salad, dinner, and dessert with coffey and wine... $200-$300 for two! I really liked the four-tomato(?) salad and the venison (special one of the times) was excellent. The veal chop was good as was the lamb (some may have been specials for the night). The chef is very nice too, as I run into him at the bathroom! But it does get very loud, as it also seems to be hangout with the piano bar by the entrance. They tend to be late with the reservations as well, but, I may go back for special occasions, especially when someone else is buying...
Edgar H. Rawl, III wrote: > > Anybody care to recommend some reasonably-priced restaurants in San > Diego patronized by locals? Especially interested in seafood and ethnic > restaurants, but all recommendations appreciated. Thanks! Point Loma Seafoods is a great place to get fresh fish; you can order at the counter and either take the food home or eat at the outdoor tables. It is right at the docks where the fishing boats dock so the fish will indeed by fresh. Reuben's on Harbor Island has incredible views of the harbor and downtown; they have early bird specials that are a good deal for the money. As far as ethnic restaurants go you'll have to be a bit more specific. Lois
Edgar H. Rawl, III wrote: > > Anybody care to recommend some reasonably-priced restaurants in San > Diego patronized by locals? Especially interested in seafood and ethnic > restaurants, but all recommendations appreciated. Thanks! Try this newsgroup: sdnet.eats
It's a bit of a drive, but Fish House Vera Cruz in San Marcos is outstanding. ------------------------------------------------------------------------